Method of making ornamented molded concrete articles.



No. 829,249. PATENTED AUG, 21. 1906.

G. P. BARTLETT.

METHOD OF MAKING ORNAMENTED MOLDED CONCRETE ARTICLES.

APPLIUATIOII FILED MAILSL, 1906 wall of a building than if the briclqshould be formed in a mold of a two-inch depth and four-inch width. The reason for this'is that the Weight of all of the material forming each brick is borne by a relatively small area, and therefore the pressure upon the cement in contact with the. glossy forming-surface of each mold will be greater when the brick is molded edgewise than if it were molded llat- Wise.

hen it is desired to cast or mold bricks which are'to be used at the corner of a wall, it is desirable that one end of the brick shall have a polished surface to correspond with the polished surface indicated at c in Fig. 3 of the drawings. For this purpose a thin strip of the polished inoisturi-i-repellaut and non-adhesive material may placed against one end 'all oi each brick-mold prior to pouring in the concrete.

The cement may be colored, if desired, ,so that the glossy surface may present any shadethat is Wanted. I have found that in using colored cement a desirable mottled effect may be produced, the glossy cement face having a given shade Where-parts of the inert material he close to the said face, and a different shade where the face is backed by cement contained in YOlClS in. the mass of.- inert material. To insure uninterrupted contact of the cement with all parts of the formingsurface, it may be desirable in some cases to apply a thin coating of cement to the forming-surface before inserting the concrete mixture in the molds, this coating subsequently uniting with the cement ingredient of the mixture.

While .l have thus particularly described 'my invention as embodied in a concrete brick and the method of making the same, I do not confine myself to a brick-shaped. arti-- cle, it being obvious that a concrete body ornamented as described oi any shape capable of being formed in a mold may be produced Without departing from tl spirit of my invention. A spherical body of concrete may be formed in a hollow spherical mold internally smooth and glossy, and said mold may be a hollow globe requiring breakage to uncover the molded body, or it may be of sectional construction, so that it may be opened or lissected to uncover the molded body. I have conclusively demonstrated that the face. formed by the crystallization or setting of a surface portion of the limited quantity of by draulic cement contained in a body of or li nary concrete mixture by contact with a glossy formiug surface is more a perfect rcpiica of the said formlug-surface than the face of an all-cement body formed in the same way. 'llhe relative impcrfectuess ol' the face oi the rill-UPIJJJHL body'may be due, in part at least, to the rece sion of Water from tho cement in contact with the forming-surface of the mold prior to and (hiring the procceases of crystallization, the recession being due to absorption by the relatively large mass of cement of enough water from the surface to cause the numerous minute depressions here;- inbel ore referred to in the formed face. In a concrete body there is no thick mass of cemcnt capable of absorbing Water from the surl ce portion, the stone and sand which form the major part of the mass being nonabsorbent.

While l' have mentioned the possibility of first applying a coating of cement to the glossy forming-surface of the mold before indersto od that such procedure is desirable chiefly when the surface cement is given a distinct] color. When, a distinctive surface all parts of the forming-surface of the mold maybe secured by the natural ilowagc of the cement, the latter being of about the consistency of cream, so that it will low through the voids of the mass of inert matter and spread over the forming-face. After the concrete material is deposited in the mold, it is permitted to remain. in contact with the glossy panel until the face formed by such contact has crystallized and thoroughly hardened, so that the polish will be permanent. During this time the surplus water in the concrete mixture will settleto the bottom and carry with it the finest particles to form the face of the articles, and then the surplus Water will drain out between thebottom edges of the sides oi the mold and the surface of the panel, leaving the face composed of the finest particles. Consequently the bottom of the article is the last to dry and harden and will present a fine-grained surface that will retain its pclish, Even if there were no such draining of surplus moisture the same result will be attained, because the lower layer or stratum is so far from the drying client of the atmosphere as to result in causing the last hardening and crystallization to take place in the portion oi the n'laterial that is in contact with the glossy panel. vDining all of this time the face of the article that is formed by the glossy panel subject to the weight of the material above it (or to additionally applied Weight or pressure, if desired), and is protected by said panel from the atmosphere, so that the latter can not nfl'cct the polish or crack the polished surface. ly leaving this (mutact undisturbed until the said surface has become thoroughly hardened or what might be termed bone-dry, the best cll'cct or result is ()lJtitifiAl as to polish and permanency of that polish. lt isto be understood that in order to obtain these results it is not always necessary to leave the mold. intact, for the sides and 0 might be removed alter the anticle has set sullicicntly to retain its form, but leaving it upon the panel or base 1, until so 1 hard-cued that the polished lace will be persorting the crmcrete mixture, I desire it uncolor is not desired, contact of the cement with ceases manent and capable of resisting atmospheric or climatic influences.

I claim 1. The method of making a concrete article, consisting in confining concrete material containing an oxcessof water in contact with a polished and non-adhesive panel beneath said material, and allowing the same to remain in such contact until dry and thor oughly hardened and provided with a permanent polish.

2. The method of making a concrete article having a polished surface, consisting in confining a requisite quantity of concrete material containing an excess of water during the setting and hardening and drying of the material, with a lower face portion thereof in contact with a polished, moisture-repellant, and non-adhesive surfaceor panel.

3. The method of making a concrete article having, a polished surface consisting in preparing the concrete material under the wet process, and confining a requisite quantity of such material during the setting and hardening thereof, with a lower portion in contact with a polished, moisture-repellant, and non-adhesive surface or panel, until it becomes dry and hard.

4. The method of making a concrete article having a polished surface, consisting in depositing concrete material including hydraulic cement with an excess of water in a mold having a glossy bottom panel, and allowing the same to remain in contact with said panel during the settling and draining of the water in the material thereby causing the last hardening to take place in the portion of the article that is in contact with said panel,

whereby the said article is formed with a glossy narrow edge.

6. The method of making an ornamented concrete article which consists in depositing.

upon a smooth and glossy fcrmingsurface a mass of concrete which includes hydraulic cement containing an excess of water, causing the cement to cover the forming-surface, and

confining the mass until the cement crystallizes and dries.

7. The method of making an ornamented concrete article which consists in depositing a coating of hydraulic cement upon a smooth and glossy forming-surface, and then depos iting upon said coating a mass of concrete containing a hydraulic cement and an excess of water, thecement of the'concrete uniting with said coating, and confining the said mass until the cement crystallizes anddries. In testimony whereof I have a'ifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

eEoaeE H. BARTLETT.

V Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHEL'DER 

